Lionel Shriver on her novel "Big Brother"

Transforming Health
| 06.13.13

Lionel Shriver's latest novel is "Big Brother."

In this episode of the Diane Rehm Show, journalist and author, Lionel Shriver, talks about her latest novel, "Big Brother," and the complexity of attitudes toward food and body size in today's society.

Shriver's novels include “So Much for That,” “The Post-Birthday World” and the 2005 Orange Prize-winner, “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”

Her latest novel tells the story of a 40-year-old woman, who must chose between saving her morbidly obese brother and risking her marriage to a fitness freak husband. For Shriver: this is personal. She lost her own brother to weight-related complications four years ago.

Rehm and Shriver discuss America’s preoccupation with food and how it affects all our relationships in this episode of the Diane Rehm Show. Click here to listen to the show.

Tell us: Do you have a family member who is struggling with weight? What are your thoughts about the way that our society treats food and overweight people? Please share your thoughts in a comment below.